Man whose wife died after holiday among 350 suing TUI over resort illness claims

A Lincolnshire man whose wife died after falling ill on her birthday holiday trip to a Cape Verde resort has launched legal action against their tour operator.

Jane Pressley was among hundreds of people who allegedly fell ill at Riu Palace Resort, in Santa Maria.

She died just over three weeks after becoming sick with a gastric illness on the couple's holiday.

Her widower, Michael Pressley, from Gainsborough, is among 350 holidaymakers launching legal action against tour operator TUI UK Ltd.

He said he is "devastated" by his loss, and struggles "every day" as the grieving family search for answers.

The couple, who booked the five-star resort package through TUI, both fell ill within days of arriving at the resort last November, the law firm representing Mr Pressley alleges.

Mrs Pressley, a care assistant, and Mr Pressley, a food production operative, arrived at the Riu Palace resort in Santa Maria, on 27 November, 2022, and returned to the UK on 12 December.

Two days into their trip, Mrs Pressley began developing gastric and flu-like symptoms including vomiting and diarrhoea, law firm Irwin Mitchell says.

Mr Pressley recovered within a week of falling unwell.

But, Mrs Pressley, who had a pre-existing condition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, continued to suffer symptoms.

In the weeks following the couple’s return home, Mrs Pressley's illness worsened and she was taken to hospital on Christmas Eve.

The doctors treating her suspected she had a bacterial infection and administered antibiotics.

But she died less than two weeks later on 5 January, aged 62.

A death certificate confirmed her cause of death to be "infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," law firm Irwin Mitchell said.

She leaves two daughters, Lucy Ambrose, 37, an office manager, and Porcia Stow, 30, a customer adviser- who was pregnant with her first child at the time of her mother's death.

Mr Pressley said: “Jane and I had been looking forward to our holiday for such a long time, so we were really upset when we both fell ill. 

“Within a week, my symptoms began to alleviate but Jane’s seemed to get worse. It was awfulto see her so unwell and not able to enjoy our time away, but not for one minute did we expect it to continue when we got home.

“By Christmas Eve, we were all very worried about Jane and felt she needed hospital treatment. 

"When we were told she might have a bacterial infection, it made sense as we hadheard of others that had holidayed at the same place and had also been unwell.

“We thought she would get some antibiotics and she’d be fine. To then see her die within a few weeks is hard to accept. 

“It’s been less than six months since we lost Jane and it’s a struggle every day to understand what happened. 

"To lose her so suddenly has absolutely devastated us all. She was the most amazing person and enjoyed nothing more than being around family; we’re all totally lost without her. 

"She never even got to meet her grandchild.

“While nothing will ever bring her back, we need some answers. It’s the least we deserve.”

Following her death, her husband instructed specialist international serious injurylawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate then launch legal action against TUI UK Ltd in connection with his wife's illness and death, as well as over his own illness.

Jatinder Paul, a specialist international injury lawyer at the firm representing Mr Pressley,said: “The first-hand account we’ve heard from Michael regarding the illness heand Jane suffered during their holiday is deeply concerning.

“While Michael began to feel better within the first week, Jane’s illness continued and she sadly passed away in hospital less than a month after returning home from their holiday.

“We’re representing more than 350 others who fell seriously ill at this hotel in 2022. Therefore  this latest development is of significant concern. The impact of such illnesses should never be downplayed as they can lead to long-term health issues and in some cases can prove fatal.

“While nothing will ever make up for Michael’s loss, we’re now investigating how he and Jane fell ill and the events leading up to Jane’s death.  If during the course of our investigation any issues are identified, it’s vital that lessons are learned to prevent other holidaymakers from falling ill, or worse, in the future.”

A TUI spokesperson said: "Our thoughts and sympathies remain with the Pressley family.  As this is now a legal matter, it would not be appropriate for us to comment further."

ITV News has approached the RIU Hotels group for comment.

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